Decorating Screen Doors

Consider your screen door mesh as a base for needlecrafts.

Screen doors are typically plain, with a swath of screen held in place by a framework of metal or wood. Functionally, they do their job quite well, keeping insects out of the house while allowing fresh air to enter. Aesthetically, however, they could use some improvement. Decorating your screen door makes it stand out and dresses up your doorway.

Considerations

The type of decoration to use on a screen door depends on the type of screen, the frame material and the style of your home. Some screen doors have metal screening, while others have fiberglass screens. Metal screening is usually tough enough to handle the attachment of lightweight items. Fiberglass may rip from the weight of an attached decoration. It is harder to do a decent paint job on the frame of a metal screen door than on a wooden screen door frame. It is easier to attach architectural embellishments to wood frames than to metal. Your home's style may determine the type of screen door decoration -- charming Victorian corner inserts may not look appropriate on the screen door of a modern glass and steel townhouse.

Removable Decorations

Screen door magnets are mirror-image decorations that are both easy to install and a snap to remove. The magnets come in pairs, each side with the same image, and work on both fiberglass and metal screens. To install, hold one of the magnets on one side of the screen, then match up the reverse magnet on the other side of the screen. The two sides attract and stay in that position. If you have metal screens, you can use lightweight wood or metal decorations held in place with tacks or wire. This includes balsa wood cut in design shapes, or intricate metal scrollwork. Hold wood items against the screen, and then push tacks through the back side of the metal screen to hold the wood in place. For metal decorations, hold the item in place on the front of the screen, and then use thin wire to wrap the item, pushing the wire through the screen and attaching it at the back.

Permanent Designs

You can paint or stencil both fiberglass and metal screens. Use paint that is labeled for outdoor use, because it will be exposed to sun and rain. Be careful when painting a large design on a fiberglass screen, because the screen holes tend to clog with paint and prevent airflow. You can also decorate your screen door with decorative corner inserts, Victorian appliques or brackets. These are available in plastic, metal and wood, with designs to match almost every style of house. Attach them to the inside corners of the screen door with screws. Metal screens are a perfect base for cross-stitch or embroidery -- treat the metal mesh as your canvas and sew a welcoming design with embroidery thread or yarn.

Other Uses

Once your screen door is decorated, you can treat it as an ornamental piece and use it anywhere in your home. Use a decorated screen door as an interior divider between rooms, attaching it at the floor and ceiling. Hang the door on the wall to fill in an empty space, or even prop it against the outside of the house as an accent piece.

About the Author

Drue Tibbits is a writer based in Central Florida, where she attended Florida Southern College. Her articles have appeared in Entrepreneur and Your Home magazines. She has also been profiled in the Florida Today newspaper and the Writer's Digest magazine. In addition to writing brochure copy for local businesses, she helps new start-up companies develop a local image presence.